If no doesn't mean no for the autocrats in Brussels, why should yes mean yes?

In June 2001, Ireland voted to reject the EU's Nice Treaty. As is well known to all who have followed Brussels' descent into autocracy, the Irish were then told to vote again until they gave the right answer, which they duly did in October of the following year.

And then there was the Lisbon Treaty which the Irish rejected in a referendum in 2008. Once again they were told to re-run the vote until they said yes, which the following year they did.

Well, now. Opinion polls suggest that in the run-up to Thursday's referendum on the Fiscal Union -- the EU's latest harebrained scheme to trash European democracy still further and shore up the basket case otherwise known as the euro -- the yes camp holds the lead.

There are plenty of "don't knows" around so it's still possible that the Irish could serve up yet another deliciously embarrassing rebuke to their masters in Brussels.

But supporters of the Fiscal Union do seem to have the upper hand, and given that anyone could forgive a potential no voter for not turning out on the grounds that they'd only be told to vote again anyway, it looks likely to pass.

Which raises some interesting questions. Because what if we have been unfair to the EU? What if we've got it wrong in calling them autocrats? What if we have been guilty of smearing them, when all along their democratic credentials have been as secure as can be?

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Perhaps these repeat referendums have in fact been about celebrating rather than smothering the democratic spirit by always giving the people of Ireland the opportunity to vote on EU treaties not once, but twice!

It's a wonderful thought. And what is so exciting about it is that we'll only have to wait until the end of the week for the definitive answer.

So, shall we give Brussels the benefit of the doubt? Shall we be prepared to eat humble pie? Shall we place a bet that if the Irish do vote yes to the Fiscal Union they will be given a chance to vote again, thus proving Brussels' critics wrong?